peinture
/pɛ̃.tyʁ/
The French word for painting is peinture. Wiktionary also lists toile.
Meaning: an illustration or artwork using paint (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| peinture | /pɛ̃.tyʁ/ /pẽ.t͡sʏʁ/ (Quebec) |
|
| toile | /twal/ | feminine |
peinture refers to the art form of painting, the act of painting or the physical substance of paint itself. In contrast, toile is used to refer to a specific piece of artwork or the physical canvas.
What does it mean word for word?
The word toile literally means cloth or fabric, which refers to the canvas used for a painting.
Which one should you use?
peinture is used when discussing the medium or the art form. toile is used when you are referring to a specific artwork or the physical canvas.
How does it change in a sentence?
toile is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɛ̃.tyʁ/ (2 syllables)
Did you know?
- French uses the word toile to describe a spider's web, known as une toile d'araignée.
- The word toile is also used in French to refer to a movie screen, and going to the cinema is sometimes described as seeing a film on the grande toile.
- The term peintre is used for both a fine artist and a house painter, often requiring a qualifier like peintre en bâtiment to distinguish the two.
Examples in context
- Il adore la peinture.He is fond of painting.This sentence shows how to express a fondness for the art of peinture.Tatoeba #3655149 by sacredceltic, translation #294706 by CK
- C'est une superbe toile.That's a very beautiful painting.This sentence uses toile to describe a beautiful piece of artwork.Tatoeba #7778159 by tras, translation #6530076 by CK
- Qui a peint cette toile ?Who painted this painting?This sentence uses toile to refer to a specific painting.Tatoeba #1335981 by sacredceltic, translation #2226 by CM
- J'ai récemment vu un magnifique tableau de Monet au musée.I recently saw a magnificent painting by Monet at the museum.
- Sa maîtrise de la peinture à l'huile est remarquable.His mastery of oil painting is remarkable.
- 83 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are at an art gallery.
- EmmaRegarde cette magnifique peinture, Hugo.Look at this magnificent painting, Hugo.
- HugoOui, l'artiste est vraiment talentueux.Yes, the artist is truly talented.
- EmmaEst-ce qu'elle est ancienne ?Is it old?
- HugoJe ne sais pas, mais elle est superbe.I don't know, but it is superb.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “painting” translations and entries peinture, toile, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
